


In Tears

by torestoreamends



Category: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Angst, Fill in Scene, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Compliant, M/M, Malfoy Family Feels, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-15
Updated: 2017-03-15
Packaged: 2018-10-05 20:24:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10316252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/torestoreamends/pseuds/torestoreamends
Summary: Scorpius is completely lost in a world where Rose doesn’t exist, Albus is forbidden from talking to him, and his mum is still dead. The only place he can go to escape is the Manor, like that’ll be any help at all.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fill-in scene, based on Draco’s line: ‘my son is in tears, and I am his father, so I’m here to ask why you would keep apart two good friends’. I honestly can’t explain why I’ve never written this before, but here it finally is! 
> 
> The final inspiration to write this came from me rediscovering [this great bit of art](http://captbexx.tumblr.com/post/157115299973/draco-scorpius) by Captbexx on tumblr.
> 
> Thanks to Abradystrix for betaing.

Scorpius doesn’t really know why he goes home that Friday night. He hasn’t voluntarily gone home in over a year. It’s just too difficult, too dark, too miserable. And Albus isn’t at the Manor. Albus has been his main comfort for so long, that any moment spent apart from him has seemed painful and difficult. But now that _every_ moment is spent apart, there doesn’t feel like a better option. And there’s a chance that maybe in this world his dad will be different, that they’ll get on alright. It’s a very slim chance, but it is a chance.

He Floos in to find the Manor as dark and empty as it always is these days. As he leaves the reception room, he hugs himself and peers into the dusty corners. All the cobwebs seem familiar, like he’s not in another timeline at all. His favourite spider is crawling up the bannister of the grand staircase, and he pauses next to her.

“You’re the same, aren’t you? Maybe we can be the same together. We’ll be the only ones.” He sighs and stretches out a finger to pick her up, but she scuttles onto the underside of the bannister, and abseils down onto one of the wrought iron curlicues to get away from him. He stares down at her, chest tight with misery. She’s never run away from him before.

“Is there anyone in this world who doesn’t hate me?” He asks, voice echoing in the empty hall.

“Scorpius?”

He spins round, almost losing his balance on the stairs, so he has to flail his hands, trying to grab hold of the bannister. He ends up half sitting on the step, robes wrapped round him, arms straining to keep himself from rolling all the way down into the entrance hall.

His dad stands at the top of the stairs and looks down at him, arms folded. “Are you alright?” He takes a step forward.

Scorpius nods and struggles to right himself. “Fine. Completely fine.”

His dad takes several steps down the stairs, like he’s considering helping him. “I wasn’t expecting you to come home this weekend. Is everything okay?”

Scorpius stares up at him, lost for how to answer that question. Nothing in the world is alright. Everything is horrible. He’s trapped in this awful timeline, where Rose doesn’t exist, Albus is in Gryffindor and won’t speak to him, he has no friends and no one to help him, his mum is still dead, his dad is still his dad, and he has no idea how it’s happened or how to fix it.

“Um,” he says. He swallows. “I don’t know?” He can hear his voice start to shake and crack. It’s like the fragile pieces of himself that he’s been carefully holding together all week are finally fracturing and shattering and falling apart.

His throat goes tight. Hot tears choke him, and start to sting his eyes. He draws in a shallow gasp of a breath, and struggles not to start crying. His dad is the last person he wants to cry in front of. It was always his mum that he went to when he was upset. His dad doesn’t seem like a very comforting person, all upright and intimidating; hiding his own emotions so well. Surely crying would be a disappointment to him.

“Scorpius,” his dad says, voice dropping low and urgent as he rushes down the few stops between them. “What’s wrong? What’s happened?” He takes hold of Scorpius’s arm, grip firm, but gentle. “Is it the bullies again? Are you hurt?” He takes Scorpius by both shoulders and turns him round, so he can get a proper look at him, then he starts examining him all over, like he might be able to see blood or bruises or any other sign of damage.

“No,” Scorpius sniffs, trying to pull away. “No, not- not bullies.”

His dad relents a little, but keeps hold of his shoulders, and his expression doesn’t shift at all. He’s still gazing at Scorpius, silver eyes shining with concern. “If it’s not the bullies… I assume it isn’t school work? You’re usually so confident with that.”

All Scorpius can do is shake his head. He has no idea what to say. It’s been so long since he last broke down in front of his dad, years in fact. He’s been careful to cry at school, or at night when everyone else is at sleep, or out in the garden where no one can see. And his dad’s reaction to it now is completely unexpected. Why is he worrying like this? Why isn’t he telling Scorpius to grow up and pull himself together?

“Please,” Draco murmurs, searching his face, wild and desperate. “Talk to me.”

_But I can’t_ , Scorpius thinks desperately. _I’ve never been able to._

Does this version of himself have a different relationship with his dad? Are they closer? Do they talk about things? About their problems? Do they talk about bullies, and school work? Do they talk about Astoria?

“I know it’s hard,” Draco says softly. “But I want to help.”

Scorpius looks up at him, at the faint grey light of the hall reflecting in his eyes, at the shadows falling long across his face, at just how tired and worried he seems. He’s never noticed before, but his dad looks completely exhausted, like he hasn’t slept in a month, like the whole world is pressing down on him. Maybe he’ll understand what it’s like to feel lost and hopeless. It’s worth a try.

“I…” Scorpius starts. He swallows. His throat is so thick with impending tears that it’s difficult to say anything at all. “I don’t know what to do,” he says, and as he does it’s like he finally shatters, and everything comes pouring out.

Tears overwhelm him, and he gives a broken sob, his whole body heaving, as he buries his face in his hands. His knees give way, and he sinks onto the stairs, but as he does his dad’s arms go round him, supporting him so he doesn’t just fall. Scorpius can’t resist curling against his chest and gripping handfuls of his stiff wool robes.

“It’s- it’s all of it,” he gasps out between sobs. “I think I’ve ruined everything. A-and Albus is in Gryffindor, and I never talk to him. And I need him now. I want him back. But his dad won’t- he won’t let us talk because…” He takes a deep, shuddering breath. “Because he thinks I-I’m the- he believes the rumours.”

For a moment he pauses to wipe at his face with his sleeve. There are tears and snot everywhere, and he’s a mess, but he doesn’t have it in him to care right now.

“I just want it all to go back to how it was,” he mumbles through the tears. “I want Albus back. And I-I want to fix it. And I…” He swallows and sniffs. “I wish Mum was here.”

His dad’s arms tighten round him, and he feels fingers brush through his hair. “I know,” he murmurs. “I’m sorry, Scorpius.”

Scorpius buries his face in his dad’s robes and lets go completely. He’s said everything he wants to, everything he needs to, and he doesn’t have the strength left to control himself. He feels like he did when he was very little, and he would go and crawl into his parents’ bed at night when he’d had a nightmare, and his dad would hold him, and he’d feel safe again. The only difference now is that the nightmare is real, and he doesn’t really feel safe, but he does feel better. Just a little bit.

“Did you say Potter is keeping you and Albus from talking?” His dad says after a short while, once Scorpius’s sobs have begun to quieten a little. “Because he believes the rumours?” His tone has changed now. Sharp and brisk.

Scorpius nods and wipes his eyes with his fingers. He looks up at his dad through a blur of tears. “I think so.” He draws in a shaky breath. “He-he said… Albus is in danger. From me.”

His dad’s grip on him goes very tight, almost too tight, but it doesn’t hurt. It’s just uncomfortable. “From you? What on earth does that mean?”

Scorpius shakes his head. “I-I don’t understand. I don’t know. I… I miss him.”

“Of course you do,” his dad says, looking down at him. “He’s your best friend. The two of you are inseparable. For him to even try…”

Scorpius curls himself away from his dad, into a little ball, and he starts mopping himself up using his sleeve. “It’s… it’s lonely,” he mumbles. “I don’t have anyone to talk to. I-I don’t like it. I don’t…” He takes a slow breath, carefully considering the words before he says them. “I don’t want to go back to school… I know I have to, but I don’t want to.”

“You love school,” his dad says, voice a soft, menacing hiss. But Scorpius knows it isn’t aimed at him. That anger is going to protect him. To fight for him. “You love it, and you’re considering not going back? Because of him? Because of Potter?” His dad’s wand whips out in a second, and he moves to get up, but Scorpius catches hold of his arm.

“Dad…”

He stops and looks back at Scorpius. “What?”

“Don’t-” Scorpius wipes his nose. “Don’t leave me on my own.” It sounds so stupid and pathetic. He sounds like a child, like a helpless baby.

His dad pauses and looks at him for a moment. “But if I don’t- I can stop this nonsense. I can make him reconsider.”

“I know,” Scorpius says quietly. “But I-I want you to stay here. Just for now. For tonight. A-and then in the morning I can go back and…” he takes a deep breath, another sob rising up inside him as he thinks about the idea of it. “I have homework and things.”

Very slowly, his dad sits down beside him and pockets his wand. “Very well. I’ll stay for now. But tomorrow-”

Scorpius nods. “Tomorrow.” He adjusts his robes, wrapping them tighter round himself.

“And tonight…” His dad looks at him critically. “Would you like some hot chocolate? That was what your mother used to make for you, correct? When you were upset?”

Scorpius looks at him. “You know how to make Mum’s hot chocolate?”

“No,” his dad says, with a small shake of the head. “It won’t be nearly as good as hers. But I’m happy to learn. You can tell me when I go wrong, so I can do better next time.”

Somehow, in the midst of all the awful things, Scorpius manages to smile. “I-I watched her do it,” he says. “A couple of times. Maybe I can- maybe I can help?”

His dad gets to his feet, and offers him a hand up, which he accepts.

“We can do it together. It’ll be an experiment.” He looks at Scorpius, then draws his wand and conjures a tissue from thin air. “Here, take this. You look a mess. In fact, before you have any hot chocolate you should go and find some clean clothes. You’ll be more comfortable then.” He gestures up the stairs, in the direction of where Scorpius’s room presumably still is. “And bring the robes down so I can wash them for you. I’m not sending you back to school with them in that state.”

Scorpius looks down at his snot stained sleeve, and decides his dad probably has a point. “Okay,” he agrees. “I’ll see you in a minute?”

“In the kitchen,” his dad confirms.

For a second they look at each other, then his dad strides up the step that’s separating them and reaches out, as though he’s thinking of hugging Scorpius. But he stops short, and just puts a hand on his shoulder, giving it a tight, comforting squeeze.

“I’ll wait for you,” he says.

Scorpius nods, staring up at his dad, deep down inside wishing that that had turned into a hug after all. Then he hugs his robes round himself and turns away to run up the stairs. The sooner he gets changed and gets to the kitchen, the sooner he can have hot chocolate. And his mum always said that hot chocolate can cure all wounds.


End file.
